Directly confirmed by an official source.
Guide · Release · Quick read
Every Grand Theft Auto VI announcement, in order
Nearly three years of Grand Theft Auto VI news on one page — each step dated, and each one sourced to the post in which Rockstar announced it.
- Published
- Updated
- Last checked
Revealed in December 2023 for 2025, moved to May 26, 2026, then to November 19, 2026. Pre-orders opened June 25, 2026, and the extended look premiered on August 27.
Grand Theft Auto VI has been announced in pieces: a reveal, two delays, a cover, pre-orders and three trailers. This is every one of them in order. Where Rockstar published the announcement itself, that post is the source; the two steps that rest on press coverage say so.
2023
- December 1 — Rockstar schedules the first trailer for Tuesday, December 5, at 9 a.m. ET.
- December 4 — a copy leaks online, and Rockstar publishes the real trailer that evening instead. It names Leonida and Vice City, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S, and a 2025 release window. The early release is documented by same-day press coverage; the trailer post itself is dated December 5.
2025
- May 2 — first delay: Rockstar moves the release to May 26, 2026.
- May 6 — Trailer 2, with the official synopsis: Jason and Lucia caught in a conspiracy that spans Leonida.
- November 6 — second delay: the release moves to Thursday, November 19, 2026, where it stands.
2026
- June 18 — the cover art is revealed, and pre-orders are announced for the following week. Reported by VGC.
- June 24 — Rockstar and Take-Two detail pre-orders: two editions at $79.99 and $99.99, the Vintage Vice City Pack, a free month of GTA+ with digital pre-orders, and pre-loading from November 12.
- June 25 — pre-orders open at midnight local time.
- August 6 — Rockstar announces An Extended Look for August 27, premiering on Netflix.
- August 27 — An Extended Look premieres on Netflix at 3 p.m. ET, then goes up on YouTube and the official site at 9 p.m. ET.
- September 17 — Rockstar announces Grand Theft Auto VI: The Album, a 34-track soundtrack made with Atlantic Records, arriving alongside the game on November 19.
Still to come
- November 12, 2026 — pre-loading opens, and the boxed edition goes on sale.
- November 19, 2026 — launch on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S.
Common questions
Has the release date changed since November 2025?
No. November 19, 2026 was announced on November 6, 2025, and it is still the date on Rockstar’s own site.
Sources
- Rockstar Games Newswire — “Grand Theft Auto VI is Now Set to Launch November 19, 2026”OfficialAccessed Sep 11, 2026
rockstargames.com/newswire/article/ak3ak31a… (opens in a new tab)
Primary source. Published by the developer and publisher of the game.
- Rockstar Games — official Grand Theft Auto VI siteOfficialAccessed Oct 2, 2026
rockstargames.com/VI (opens in a new tab)
Primary source. Treated as authoritative for date, platforms and editions.
Why do some articles say the first trailer came out on December 5?
Because that was the announced date, and Rockstar’s post for the trailer is dated December 5. The trailer itself went up on the evening of December 4, after a leak. Both dates are traceable; they describe the same event.
Sources
- Rockstar Games Newswire — “Trailer 1. Tuesday, December 5. 9AM ET.”OfficialAccessed Sep 11, 2026
rockstargames.com/newswire/article/259813k4… (opens in a new tab)
Primary source for the scheduled date. It predates the leak, so it says nothing about it.
- Rockstar Games Newswire — “Grand Theft Auto VI - Watch Trailer 1 Now”OfficialAccessed Sep 11, 2026
rockstargames.com/newswire/article/8978kok9… (opens in a new tab)
Primary source for the reveal and the original 2025 window. The Newswire post is dated December 5 even though the video went up on the evening of December 4 ET.
- Kotaku — “Looks Like The GTA VI Trailer Just Leaked Online (Update: Rockstar Confirms, Releases Trailer Early)”PublicationAccessed Sep 11, 2026
kotaku.com/grand-theft-auto-6-vi-trailer-le… (opens in a new tab)
Contemporaneous report from an established games publication, quoting Rockstar’s own post on X.
Sources
- Rockstar Games Newswire — “Trailer 1. Tuesday, December 5. 9AM ET.”OfficialAccessed Sep 11, 2026
rockstargames.com/newswire/article/259813k4… (opens in a new tab)
Primary source for the scheduled date. It predates the leak, so it says nothing about it.
- Rockstar Games Newswire — “Grand Theft Auto VI - Watch Trailer 1 Now”OfficialAccessed Sep 11, 2026
rockstargames.com/newswire/article/8978kok9… (opens in a new tab)
Primary source for the reveal and the original 2025 window. The Newswire post is dated December 5 even though the video went up on the evening of December 4 ET.
- Kotaku — “Looks Like The GTA VI Trailer Just Leaked Online (Update: Rockstar Confirms, Releases Trailer Early)”PublicationAccessed Sep 11, 2026
kotaku.com/grand-theft-auto-6-vi-trailer-le… (opens in a new tab)
Contemporaneous report from an established games publication, quoting Rockstar’s own post on X.
- Rockstar Games Newswire — “Grand Theft Auto VI is Now Coming May 26, 2026”OfficialAccessed Sep 11, 2026
rockstargames.com/newswire/article/258aa538… (opens in a new tab)
Primary source. Published by the developer and publisher of the game.
- Rockstar Games Newswire — “Grand Theft Auto VI — Watch Trailer 2 Now”OfficialAccessed Sep 11, 2026
rockstargames.com/newswire/article/3928aaa9… (opens in a new tab)
Primary source. Published by the developer and publisher of the game.
- Rockstar Games Newswire — “Grand Theft Auto VI is Now Set to Launch November 19, 2026”OfficialAccessed Sep 11, 2026
rockstargames.com/newswire/article/ak3ak31a… (opens in a new tab)
Primary source. Published by the developer and publisher of the game.
- VGC — “Grand Theft Auto 6 cover art revealed as Rockstar locks in November release date”PublicationAccessed Sep 11, 2026
videogameschronicle.com/news/grand-theft-au… (opens in a new tab)
Established games publication. Used here to date the cover-art reveal.
- Rockstar Games Newswire — “Pre-Order Grand Theft Auto VI on June 25”OfficialAccessed Sep 11, 2026
rockstargames.com/newswire/article/5171972o… (opens in a new tab)
Primary source. Does not state prices — those come from storefront listings and press coverage of the same announcement.
- Take-Two Interactive — “Rockstar Games Announces Pre-Orders for Grand Theft Auto VI”OfficialAccessed Sep 11, 2026
take2games.com/ir/news/rockstar-games-annou… (opens in a new tab)
Primary source. Issued by the publisher via Business Wire and carried on Take-Two’s investor relations site.
- Rockstar Games Newswire — “Grand Theft Auto VI: An Extended Look”OfficialAccessed Sep 11, 2026
rockstargames.com/newswire/article/9k2kaa1o… (opens in a new tab)
Primary source. Published by the developer and publisher of the game.
- Rockstar Games Newswire — “Grand Theft Auto VI: An Extended Look — Now Playing”OfficialAccessed Sep 11, 2026
rockstargames.com/newswire/article/4k138k8o… (opens in a new tab)
Primary source. Published by the developer and publisher of the game.
- Rockstar Games Newswire — “Announcing Grand Theft Auto VI: The Album, Coming November 19”OfficialAccessed Oct 2, 2026
rockstargames.com/newswire/article/7599a881… (opens in a new tab)
Primary source. Published by the developer and publisher of the game.
Last checked